

Japan also readily looked to and accepted foreign input after the opening of their borders, from the rapid assimilation of foreign technology, to the frequent military exchanges with Dutch, French, British and United States navies, with plenty of naval students being sent to their naval academies and many ships (such as the Kongo) initially being purchased or built in their dockyards while Japan perfected her own shipbuilding capabilities.


As an island nation, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) was consistently the forefront of Japan's military, characterized by advanced development of naval technology, quality shipbuilding and superb seamanship.
